Of Jenny Ventas New York Times A story was released yesterday that provides a new context for the 24 sexual misconduct cases filed against Cleveland Browns quarterback Desan Watson. It is a thoroughly reported story that demands your attention, and reveals that Watson met with at least 66 different massage therapists over a 17-month period, when Watson was provided an NDA by a Houston Texan employee when threatened by a massage therapist. Reveal his behavior, and Watson was given a room in a Houstonian hotel by the Texans, where he received several of his massages.
There’s a part of the story, however, that has stuck with me since it was released yesterday. Ventus received transcripts of some of Watson’s testimonies, and the story contains a quote where a lawyer for the plaintiffs asked Watson why he was not entirely interested in the qualifications of one of the women he scheduled to massage with:
Q: Did you ask him what his level of experience was?
A. No, sir. That wasn’t a priority.
Q. That’s right. You didn’t pay attention, did you?
A. It was not a priority. I just wanted a massage.
Q: You didn’t think about his skill level, did you?
A. It was not a priority.
Q. Did you notice that he was properly trained?
A. It was not my priority, sir.
New York Times
So what was his priority? Watson’s own defense attorney, Rusty Hardin, offered an answer a few days ago when he appeared on a radio show and began arguing about a “happy ending.” He followed suit by releasing a statement in which he reiterated that Watson had consensual sex with three massage therapists suing him. What should we think of a person who saw 66 massage therapists between 2019 and 2021, paid no heed to the qualifications of those women, claimed to have consensual sex with three of them, and sued 24 of them for misconduct? Done. From self-expression, to ejaculation on therapists, to forced oral sex.
The conclusion becomes clearer with each new piece of information about how Watson has managed himself over the last few years. To ignore the fact that the browns are staring them in the face may be a huge investment, we should believe that they could be Guards caught off by the arrival of a 24th case, But that doesn’t mean someone else has to follow their messaging. It’s not hard to see what kind of guy Watson is. In fact, it gets easier every day.